Hyperbole aside, my point is that radio drama is a fully fledged medium without corresponding fully-fledged institutions. Although my degree is in film, I minored in sociology. One of the concepts I learned (from Durkheim, har har) is the idea that society is like a vast organism, with each part fulfilling a function to create stability in perpetuity. Even the rocky unpleasant bits. If you apply this idea to cultural products, you might notice how different institutions work together to perpetuate the art forms that they focus on. Doctor Who is my favorite example, and one that I will continue to use compulsively. There are content producers, critics, fans, factual literature, conventions, local organizations, websites, and highly specialized nooks and crannies for a fan of the program to delve into. Together, they make for a healthy community of listeners and producers.
The argument, in the end, is this - any content producer (the BBC being the major player in this case) can and should pay attention to the ancillary social and cultural institutions that correspond to their content. Doctor Who's institutions arose organically, but with key support from the BBC at crucial times. Radio drama needs that type of support now. The reason it needs it now is because, as content delivery changes and digitizes, we stand poised either on an audio drama renaissance, or an audio drama disintegration. The cost of making it a renaissance is almost nothing.
But what I really want to announce is this:
Exclusive interview with acclaimed playwright John Fletcher!
Coming Soon.
Coming Soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment